Cutting-gage for lathes and other tools.



No. 863,097. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

` W. RUNGE.

CUTTING GAGE FOR LATHES AND OTHER TOOLS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 13. 1906.

Z 58am@ PATENTED AUG. 13, '1907. W. RUNGB. CUTTING GAGE PoR LATHES AND OTHER TooLs.

APPIQIOAIION FILED AUG. 13, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET' 2.

y/l'lyl) x [n vengo MMV, MQW/Qd j? Z0 Wwf/5,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WILLIAM RUNGE, OF SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE SENECA FALLS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK.

CUTTING-GAGE FOR LATI-IES AND OTHER TOOLS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed August 13, 1906. Serial N0- 330,353.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RUNGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seneca Falls, in the county of Seneca and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cutting-Gages for Lathes and other Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to micrometer cutting gages or devices for regulating the depth' of cut ofthe cutters, or the advance movements ofthe cutters of lathes, or machine tools, toward the work, whereby the cutter cannot be advanced more than a definite known distance for each new cut so that the mechanic will know the number of cuts necessary to reduce a piece of work to desired dimensions and can set the cutter quickly and without special care for successive cuts without danger of reducing the work beyond the predetermined dimensions.

The primary-object of the invention is to provide an efiicient micrometer gage for the purpose stated, which is simple, compact and durable in construction and conveniently located on the tool carriage.

The following `lnay also be mentioned as objects of the invention: To provide the device with means for throwing it into and out of action by the simple movement of a part thereof; to make the construction such that the device is adapted equally for gaging the movements of either an internal or external cutter; and to improve devices of this character in the respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

The gage is illustrated in the drawings ,and will be hereinafter described as applied to lathes, for which it is especially adapted, but the invention is not restricted to such application for it could be utilized for gaging or regulating the adjustments of the cutter in other machine tools, or even for regulating the movements of a part adjusted by the rotation of an operating handle or device in other machines and instruments.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figure I is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation of the tool carriage and bed of a lathe equipped with a gage embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe gage. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the gage. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation of the gage in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the gage. Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are cross sections of the gage in lines 6 6, 7 7, 8 8 and 9 9, respectively, Fig. 3, looking in the directions ofthe arrows in said ligure. Fig. l0 is a detail sectional elevation, showing a different means for holding the graduated collar in adjusted positions.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. t

a b c represent, respectively, portions of the bed, tool carriage, and cross slide of a lathe, d the cross feed screwshaft for adjusting the cross slide to advance and retract the tool o1 cutter toward and from the work, Z/ the operating crank or handle therefor, and a e two wheels of the power-operated gear train for turning the cross feed screw. The power-operated gear train is thrown out of action and does not interfere with the free turning of the cross feed screw by hand, and the gage to be described is only used when operating the cross feed screw by hand. These parts are all common to the ordinary lathe and may be of any usual or suitable construction.

F represents a hollow bearing piece or casing which surrounds the cross feed screw-shaft (hereinafter called the screw-shaft) and is screwed into a threaded hole f in the carriage, or is otherwise secured thereto. This casing supports and incloses the gage mechanism and its inner end also preferably provides a bearing opening f for the screw-shaft.

Gr represents a shell or barrel which is secured by a key g or otherwise at one end thereof to the screw-shaft, between the hand crank CZ and the outer end of the gage casing F, and has a hollow cylindrical body extending into and adapted to turn freely in the casing.

A graduated ling or collar H is arranged to turn with the screw-shaft. It preferably surrounds the cylindiical body of the barrel between a shoulder h thereon and the outer end of the gage casing, and is adapted to be adjusted rotatably on the barrel to bring thezero mark or other mark thereon opposite an index mark on the casing, and is provided with any suitable means for securing it in adjusted positions. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 3, 5 and 6, the collar is provided with a set screw h for this purpose, while in the other construction, shown in Fig. 10, the collar is provided with an internal chamber h2 in which is confined a spring plate or piece h3 which bears against the body of the barrel with sufficient friction to hold the collar in the position to which it is moved on the barrel. 'Any other means for releasably holding the collar may be employed.

I represents a worm wheel which is loose on the screwshaft within the gage casing, and meshes with a micrometer screw K arranged tangentially with respect to the worm wheel and j ournaled in a boss 7c on the gage casing. The micrometer screw is preferably journaled to rotate on a bearing pin k which has one end screwed into a threaded hole at one side of the casing or is otherwise fixed thereto. The micrometer screw has a handle portion k2 which extends out of the bearing boss and is milled or otherwise fashioned to enable it to be readily turned by hand, andthe exposed portion is also provided, adjacent to the end of the boss, with micrometer graduations coperating with an index mark on the end of the boss to indicate the degree of rotation of the micrometer screw. The micrometer screw holds the worm wheel from rotation with the screw shaft, but the worm wheel can be turned about the screw-shaft by turning the micrometer' screw K.

.L represents a screw sleeve which is loose on the screw shaft and is adapted to be connected to the worm wheel l and turned by the latter on the screw shaft. The screw sleeve is externally threaded and is preferably provided at opposite ends with flanges, the inner flange Z being formed integrally withthe sleeve and the outer flange Z screwed tightly on the threaded end of the sleeve so as to be iigid therewith. The screw sleeve could be constructed in any other suitable manner. A nut M surrounds the screw sleeve having a screw-threaded opening in which the thread of the sleeve works. This nut is connected to the barrel 4and screw shaft but can move longitudinally in the barrel, for instance, the nut has a projecting key or feather m which slides in a longitudinal groove or channel m in the cylindrical body of the barrel. The end flanges of the screw sleeve are provided with stop devices n n/ which project therefrom toward the nut, and the nut is provided at opposite sides with projections preferably formed by a pin n2 extending therethrough, or in any other suitable manner, and adapted to strike one or the other of the projections n of the screw sleeve to arrest the nut and screw shaft, as explained in the operation of the gage. The screw sleeve is normally disconnected from the worm wheel and it and the nut will then turn together in either directionwith the screw shaft and barrel. When, however, the screw sleeve is connected to the worm wheel I, it will be held by the latter from rotation, and when the screw shaft and barrel are turned in one direction, the nut will be turned with the barrel and caused to move longitudinally on the screw sleeve by reason of its threaded engagement therewith until arrested by its pin striking one of the stop projections on the screw sleeve. When the screw shaft and barrel are turned in the opposite direction, the nut will be similarly moved inan opposite longitudinal direction on the screw sleeve until arrested by its pin striking the other stop projection on the screw sleeve.

The means shown in the drawings for connecting the screw sleeve to the worm wheel are constructed as follows: O represents a slide collar which loosely surrounds the screw shaft beside the worm wheel and is adapted to turn and slide thereon. The slide collar is provided with a pin P which projects longitudinally from its outer end tln'ough a hole in the worm wheel. The end of the screw sleeve adjacent to the worm wheel is provided with a circular series of holes p, Figs. 3 and 8, either of which is adapted by the rotation of the screw sleeve to be moved to a position opposite to the pin P, so that by sliding the collar O longitudinally on the screw shaft the pin will be projected into the hole p and the sleeve thereby connected to the worm wheel so that it can only be turned with the worm wheel. When the slide and pin are in the position shown in Fig. 3 the sleeve will be disconnected from the worm wheel and can be turned with the screw shaft independently of the worm wheel, whereas when the slide collar and pin are moved to the position shown in Fig. l, the screw sleeve will be connected to the worm wheel and can then only be turned with the worm wheel by turning the micrometer screw K. The slide collar is provided with a circumferential groove p,

Figs. 3 and 9, and a fork or semi-circular block q is confined in this groove and is provided with an operating stem or handle Q which projects out through a slot q in the side of the gage casing. By moving the handle or stem Q, lengthwise of the screw shaft, the slide collar is moved to cause its pin to engage or disengage a hole in the screw sleeve. The operating fork or piece does not interfere with the free rotation of the slide collar on the screw-shaft.

The operation of the gage is as follows: When the slide collar O is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the screw sleeve L is disconnected from the worm wheel I, the barrel G, nut M and screw sleeve L will all turn 'with the screw shaft, and the nut cannot operate to arrest the screw shaft by the engagement of its stop pin with either stop on the screw sleeve. The screw shaft can then be turned to feed the tool as desired, either by hand or by the power-operated gear train. When it is desired to use the gage, the power-driven operating train for the screw shaft is first thrown out of action. The slide collar O is then moved by its handle to engage the coupling pin P in one of the holes p in the screw sleeve and connects the sleeve to the worm wheel, the screw sleeve, if necessary, being turned sufficiently by turning the screw shaft to place one of its holes in line with the coupling pin. The screw shaft is then turned in the direction for feeding the cutter toward the work, and the nut M will turn with the screw shaft and barrel and move along the then stationary screw sleeve until its stop pin strikes the stop projection on the screw sleeve at the end toward which the nut is moving. The slide collar is then moved to uncouple the screw sleeve from the worm wheel and the screw shaft again turned until the tool or cutter contacts with the surface of the work. The screw sleeve and nut will turn together with the screw shaft at this time and their stop projections will remain in engagement. When the tool has been thus advanced to the work, the slide collar is again moved, as before, to couple the worm wheel and screw sleeve. The cutter is then retracted far enough to clear the work, by turning the screw shaft and, the screw sleeve L being held stationary by the worm wheel, the nut M will turn and move along the screw sleeve, thereby carrying its stop pin n2 away from the stop on the screw sleeve which it previously engaged. The thread of the screw sleeve is of such pitch that the nut will move longitudinally thereon in one revolution far enough to clear its stop pin from the coperating stop projection on the sleeve and consequently the screw shaft and nut can be turned the necessary number of revolutions to clear the tool from the work. The carriage is then moved to the proper position to start the cut and the micrometer screw K is turned a distance equal to one or more of its micrometer markings, according to the desired depth of cut. This turns the worm wheel and screw sleeve, thereby advancing the stop projection a distance equal to the depth of the cut to be made, and the tool is advanced by turning the screw shaft until it is arrested by the stop pin n2 of the nut striking the stop projection of the screw sleeve. The cutter is now properly set for the desired cut and the lathe is started and the cut made. After this cut is completed the tool is retracted, the carriage returned to the starting point, the micrometer screw K moved another step and the cutter again advanced, as before, until arrested by the engagement of the stops on the nut and screw sleeve. Thus successive cuts of equal depth, or of any desired depth indicated by the micrometer scale can be made, but the cutter cannot be advanced to make a deeper cut than that for which the micrometer screw is set. The sleeve having stop projections n nf at opposite sides of the nut, the movements of the tool can be gaged in either direction and the gage is therefore adapted for either external or internal cutting.

When a quick adjustment is desired in turning two or more diameters on the same piece of work, the advance movements of the cutter can be quickly regulated by means of the slide collar O and the coupling pin P. In this case, the holes p in the screw sleeve L are arranged at predetermined distances and the numbers on the graduated collar H are made to correspond therewith, so that the position of the different holes can be determined by the position of the graduated collar. After each cut is made the slide collar O is moved t uncouple the stop pin from the screw sleeve and the screw shaft is then turned until thel graduated collar shows that the next succeeding hole in the screw sleeve is in position opposite the coupling pin. The slide collar is then moved forward to engage the coupling pin with this hole and the cutting operation repeated.

By loosening the set screw h for the graduated collar H and turning the collar on the barrel G with its zero mark at the index mark'after the tool has been set for the first cut and then again tightening the set screw to cause the collar to turn with the barrel, the number of advance movements of the cutter and consequently the depth to which the work has been cut will be indicated by the number of the mark on the collar opposite to the index mark, because the collar is turned a step with each operation of the adjusting shaft to cause an advance movement of the cutter. The micrometer screw K will make several complete rotations to one complete rotation of the graduated collar H. The mechanic can, therefore, ascertain the number of cuts made and consequently the depth of cut at any time if the micrometei screw has been turned more than a complete revolution, by observing the number of the mark on the collar H opposite to the index and it is not necessary for him to keep count of the number of advance movements or revolutions of the micrometer screw K. This graduated collar can be used or not, as desired, and can be constructed and arranged as described or in any other suitable manner.

The gage is especially desirable in cutting screwto a lathe, as before mentioned.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device which is rotatably adjustable, a cooperating movable stop device, and means for turning said movable 'stop device and moving it longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device, a micrometer screw for rotatably adjusting said stop device, a coperating movable stop device, and means for turningsaid movable stop device and movingr it longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning'of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device which is rotatably adjustable about the axis of said shaft, a cooperating movable stop device which is concentric with said shaft, and means for turning said movable stop device and moving it longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device which is rotatably adjustable, a coperating movable stop device connected to turn with said shaft, and a screw mechanism for moving said movable stop device longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device, a micrometer screw for rotatably adjusting said stop device, a movable device for Acoupling said stop device to and uncouplng it from said micrometer screw, a movable stop device connected to turn with said shaft, and means for moving said movable stop device longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning of said shaft, substantially as set forth. l

6. The combination of a rotatableadjusting shaft, a normally stationary stop device, a micrometer screw for rotatably adjusting said stop device, a movable stop device connected to said shaft, means for moving said movable stop device longitudinally of said shaft to engage said stationary stop device by the turning of said shaft, and a graduated collar which is adjustably connected to said shaft and turns therewith, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a

screw-threaded sleeve which surrounds said shaft and is provided with a stop device, means for holding said sleeve stationary in adjusted positions, a nut which turns with said shaft and has a threaded engagement with said screwthreaded sleeve whereby the nut is moved longitudinally on said sleeve when said shaft is turned, and a stop device on said nut for engagement'with the stop device on said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a screw sleeve which surrounds said shaft and is provided with stop devices at opposite ends thereof,-means for holding said sleeve stationary in adjusted positions, a nut which turns with said shaft and has a screw-threaded engagement with said sleeve between said stop devices whereby the nut is moved longitudinally on said sleeve when said shaft is turned, and stop devices at opposite sides of said nut for engagement with the stop devices on said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

D. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a cas- 'ing surrounding the same, a barrel secured to said shaft and adapted to turn in said casing, an externally screwthreaded sleeve which surrounds said shaft in said barrel and is provided at opposite ends with stop devices, means for adjusting said screw-threaded sleeve rotatably about said shaft, a nut which has a screw-threaded opening in which said threaded sleeve works, and which has a sliding connection with said barrel, and stop devices at the opposite sides of said nut for cooperation with the stop devices at the opposite ends of said screw-threaded sleeve, and a graduated collar which is adjustably secured on said barrel and turns therewith for indicating the number of advance movements of the barrel, substantially as set forth.

l0. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a screw sleeve which surrounds said shaft, a micrometer screw and connections for adjusting said screw sleeve, a movable stop device which turns with said shaft and has a screw-threaded engagement with said screw sleeve, and a stop device on said screw sleeve for coperation with said stop device which turns with said shaft, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a screw sleeve which surrounds said shaft and is provided with a stop device, a worm wheel which surrounds said shaft, a micrometer screw for turning said worm wheel, a movable slide for coupling said worm wheel to said screw sleeve, a nut having a screw-threaded engagement with said screw sleeve and provided with a stop device for coperation with the stop device on said screw sleeve, and connection between said nut and said shaft whereby the nut is turned with the shaft and is movable longitudinally, suhstantially as set forth.

l2. The combination of a rotatable adjusting shaft, a stop device, means for rotatably adjusting and holding said stop device, means for coupling said stop device in different relations to said adjusting and holding means, a mov- 10 able stop device which is connected so as to he turned by said shaft and coperates with said first mentioned stop device to arrest the movement of the shaft, and a graduated part which turns with said shaft, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand, this 7th day of August, 1906.

WILLIAM RUNGE.

Witnesses lAUL B. KENDIG, ADELBERT S. DAVIS. 

